Church of Body Modification

Ryan Emans – Initiate Minister

Chris Carter — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:33:44 +0000

January 18, 2012

With pleasure and excitement, the CoBM would like to announce that Ryan Emans has been accepted as an Initiate Minister for the Church of Body Modification. Ryan first submitted his Minister Application on August 18, 2011 and, though he is in the UK, made himself available for several discussions regarding the position. Ryan is very active on the CoBM forums, giving excellent and appropriate advice. He also helps people on a daily basis through his job as a Registered Mental Health Nurse.

To learn more about Ryan, please read his bio as well as his full Minister Application. You may also email Ryan at ryanemans@uscobm.com. Ryan has a positive voice and a gentle nature to him, making him very easy to speak with.

We are proud to have Ryan join the CoBM as an Initiate Minister and know he will be an asset to the Church and to the modified community.

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New Board of Advisors

Chris Carter — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:45:07 +0000

The CoBM has great news we would like to share. We have constructed a Board of Advisors which will become the new operational force of the CoBM and will replace the previous Board of Directors. The main objective of the Board of Advisors will be to provide an unbiased perspective, act as a sounding board for evaluating new ideas and opportunities, and to provide their experience and expertise as needed.

The goal of this change is to improve the quality of work which the CoBM produces as well as the speed at which it works. A Board of Advisors will operate more fluidly and with greater ease which will help the CoBM achieve its short and long term goals more easily.

The Board of Advisors (BoA) will begin with five members with the ability to add more at a future date if needed. The new members of the BoA are: Cere Coichetti, Russ Foxx, Rick Frueh, Richard Ivey, and Jared Karnes. These individuals are known for their expertise and have a positive reputation in the modification industry as well as the general community. Professionalism, integrity, and high ethical standards are among the qualities of the new BoA members.

In the near future there will be a page dedicated to the BoA with a brief bio of each member.

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Ministership – Class

Chris Carter — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:05:45 +0000

Sunday, July 17, 9pm EST

Online meeting will be held at http://uscobm.com/chat/

This month’s class will be a discussion of ministership and becoming a CoBM minister. We will talk about what a CoBM minister does, qualifications, expectations, tips on filling out a minister application, and more. We will also be answering any questions people may have.

This class is open to members and non-members alike and will last approximately one hour.

EDIT:

This class has been rescheduled for Sunday, July 24th, 9pm.

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Above the Neck Piercings – Class

Chris Carter — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 22:08:03 +0000

Jason Morningstar, owner and head piercer at Primitive Impressions, will be leading this month’s class. The main topic will be Above the Neck Piercings and Jason will be answering questions as well as bringing up some important points of his own.
Basic questions, as well as the more advanced ones, will be welcome. Not only will this class be a great opportunity to speak with Jason, a CoBM Minister, it will also be a good time to meet and interact with other CoBM members.

Class will start at 9pm EST and will be held in the CoBM chatroom; http://uscobm.com/chat/

Focusing Our Message

Chris Carter — Mon, 02 May 2011 17:10:58 +0000

Over the past few months, the board of directors has been discussing the reorganization and focusing of the Church’s doctrine. Specifically, we have focused the wording and format of the Mission Statement and Statement of Faith to be more clear and easier to understand. Also, we have added a Vision Statement. The Vision Statement will help guide us in our actions as an organization and be a constant reminder of what we are striving for.

The last time these documents were changed was in 2008. Since then, the CoBM has grown in membership and evolved as a religious organization. By focusing the language in these documents, we reaffirm our goals, our beliefs, and our direction.

Although some of the wording has changed, our message and our beliefs have not. We continue to assist our members on their spiritual path and to support spiritual and ritual body modification. For any questions or comments, don’t hesitate in contacting us.

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Religious Experience – Class

Chris Carter — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 21:34:36 +0000

Sunday, April 17, 8pm EST
Class moderated by Chris Carter, CoBM President
Class open to members and non-members and will be held in the CoBM chatroom. http://uscobm.com/chat/

Class Description:
Sometimes, through body modification and our rituals, we experience something which is hard to describe to others. In fact, it can be difficult for us to understand ourselves. Some people describe it as a detachment from the world while others say they feel a deep union with the entire universe. Is this a mystical experience, some sort of spiritual awakening? Or is it simply the body’s endorphins playing tricks on us?
During the class we will define Religious Experience, discuss different points of view, as well as share some of our personal stories.

CoBM classes are held the 3rd Sunday of every month.

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CoBM Becomes APP Associate Corporate Member

Chris Carter — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 18:42:19 +0000

We are both excited and proud to announce that the CoBM has been accepted as an Associate Corporate Member of the Association of Professional Piercers. From the APP’s mission statement:

The Association of Professional Piercers is a California-based, international non-profit organization dedicated to the dissemination of vital health and safety information about body piercing to piercers, health care professionals, legislators, and the general public.

The CoBM and the APP have many common goals and we look forward to supporting and working with the APP.

You can find out more information about the APP on their website, http://www.safepiercing.org/.

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Aric Chamberlain Passed Away

Chris Carter — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:15:48 +0000

On Monday morning, March 14th, Aric Chamberlain passed away from complications of cancer. Aric was an initiate minister with the CoBM and a wonderful person to know. It’s impossible to summarize a life such as Aric’s in a few sentences but there are a few things that do stand out.

Aric enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1986, as a medic, working medical/surgical ward, Emergency Room and Primary Care, and was a Desert Storm Veteran. After the Air Force, he went into nursing and was employed in geriatric care. After several years, at age 30, Aric started tattooing and piercing when life directed him in the direction of his new vocation. For the past 13 years, he had been tattooing and piercing and was most recently the owner of Phoenix Rising Tattoo in Ripley, WV.

Whether you knew Aric or not, I hope you’ll take two minutes to read the biography he wrote for the CoBM for his position as minister. He was the rare person who knew himself and knew the love of those around him. We already miss him; please join us in sending caring thoughts to his family.

Aric’s Memorial service will be held on Sunday, March 20th, the Spring Equinox. It will be held at the Waybright Funeral Home in Ripley, WV; visitation from 1 to 2 and the service will begin at 2pm.

In his own words:

I’m married to a wonderful woman and my life companion for over 17 years. We have 5 children between us, 4 girls and a boy. Our oldest is our son (22), who is on his own, working his way through life. Our oldest daughter (19) is in her first year of college. The others follow in age of 12, 11, and 8. Our goals in life are to eventually own our own piece of property; build our own earthen home; and become as self-sufficient as we can, making our own electricity and heat, as well as growing our own food, which looks like a distinct possibility in the coming years.

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Organic vs Inorganic Jewelry – Class

Chris Carter — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 16:56:09 +0000

Sunday, March 20th, 8pm EST
Class moderated by David Hahn & Tiffany Hahn, CoBM Ministers.

This month’s class will be a pragmatic open discussion as opposed to a more nebulous, spiritual one. We will be talking about the virtues and values of organic (bone, wood, etc.) versus inorganic (metals, glass, etc.) jewelry. What do we wear? Why do we wear it? What does it say about us? What have our experiences been? To bling or not to bling…that is the question.

This class, open to members and non-members, will be located in the CoBM chatroom: http://uscobm.com/chat/

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Answering the Big Questions – Class

Chris Carter — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:49:27 +0000

Sunday, February 20th, 8pm EST
“Answering the Big Questions”
A roundtable discussion moderated by Chris Carter, CoBM President.

On our path of spiritual body modification, what have we learned? What are we able to learn? Is body modification able to answer any of the big questions that most people have, such as why are we here or what is the meaning of life?
During this class we will discuss and consider if body modification can answer any of the larger existential, moral, and spiritual questions many people ask.

This class will be located in the CoBM chatroom: http://uscobm.com/chat/

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